By Javier Molero/ jmolero@eurohoops.net
Real Madrid and Barça face off in the first Clásico of the season at the Palau Blaugrana. In EuroLeague Round 9, Scariolo’s men visit the Blaugrana in a matchup with both teams riding similar momentum.
With Barça at 5-3 in the top European competition and Real Madrid at 4-4, a home win could be crucial to boost morale. The same goes for Real Madrid, which has won only one of its six away games this season.
Sergio Scariolo spoke the day before the Clásico about the team’s current form and hints about his new signing, Alex Len.
When asked about a possible debut for Alex Len, Scariolo responded to the press regarding his physical condition. “Obviously, he has room for improvement. I think he’s not yet at 100% physically to be able to put in that extra bit of energy that he’ll bring when the time of the season comes, when everyone needs to be at their best,” he told the media.
“But I see him doing very well. Mentally, he has an amazing capacity to understand things,” he added about the Ukrainian center. “I don’t want to compare, but in terms of the number of plays he’s had to study this week, he’s way ahead. And like everyone, he has room for improvement in every aspect. On a personal level, in terms of understanding how the game is played and how we play, he’s adapting very well,” he concluded about the European big man.
Edy Tavares (sick), David Krämer, and Chuma Okeke appear to be doubtful for the match. The Italian coach has neither clarified nor confirmed anything ahead of El Clásico. “These are decisions that will be made tomorrow. Three players are doubtful for the game, but until we see them in training tomorrow morning, we can’t know for sure. They are doubtful; we’re not certain we can count on them,” he confirmed.
On the other side, Barcelona coach Joan Peñarroya opened the door to the possibility of Toko Shengelia and Nicola Laprovitola returning to action: “We’ll wait until tomorrow evening with Shengelia. He participated in half of the practice session, and we’ll see until the last minute. With Laprovitola, we have a positive feeling, but we’ll wait and see.”